


No More Changes, I'll Still Love You the Same

by maggs689



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: "The trade is one for one", Dirty Jersey, Edmonton Oilers, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, New Jersey Devils, Sorry Nolan Fans, Taylor Hall Redemption Narrative, also some porn, figure skating, yet again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 22:18:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18837895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maggs689/pseuds/maggs689
Summary: In 2016, Taylor Hall moves to New Jersey after he's traded to the Devils. He meets figure skater Nico Hischier and together they learn about leaving the past behind and making a new home in an unexpected place.





	No More Changes, I'll Still Love You the Same

Taylor got traded on a Wednesday.

Two weeks later, he stood in the taxi line at Newark International Airport. He had a black baseball cap pulled down low over his face but he shouldn’t have bothered. No one knew his face here.

“Where to, kid?” the taxi driver asked with a sigh.

 _Kid_. Taylor was 24 but he felt a hundred years old. He handed the driver the slip of paper with the address his agent had given him when he dropped him off at the airport in Toronto. His agent had also given him a new phone to replace his smashed one - a new number too, since Taylor didn’t want to talk to anyone from Edmonton. They weren’t calling, but still.

Taylor unfocused his eyes as the cab pulled away from the curb and looped on the access road to the highway. He didn’t know how long it’d take to get to the new house and he didn’t really care to see the sights right now. It was new but he didn’t want it. He didn’t ask to be traded, didn’t choose to start over.

***

Taylor didn’t know where he was when he woke up the next morning. It was early and the light in the strange bedroom was dim. Taylor threw back the covers and went to the window to look over the lush backyard of his new home for the first time in the daylight. The yard was huge, rising up the hill behind the house in a gentle terrace, and with a large patio, pool, and hot tub set into the landscape like an Italian grotto.

His agent had rented him this house in Montclair right after the trade, when Taylor wasn't able to get out of bed, let alone set up his new life in New Jersey. He didn't want to ask what it cost for his agent to ship his stuff here and have it all arranged - Taylor's shirts hung in the closet and his favorite food in the fridge - but it was done. Taylor had a new life. Now all he had to do was live it.

Downstairs, he wandered into the study, where his trophies and awards were shelved and his framed jerseys were hung. In the corner, Taylor spotted a box with the word “Oilers” written on it in marker in his mom's handwriting. He felt the resentment and anger rise in his chest and he clenched his eyes shut, taking deep breaths until it passed.

***

Taylor’s new phone rang while he was having coffee on the patio by the pool.

“Hi Mom,” Taylor said.

“Hi baby, how are you doing?”

“Do you want the real answer?”

“I know, baby,” Kim sighed. “How’s the house?”

“Ridiculous for one person, Mom. What am I doing in the suburbs?”

She was quiet on the other end of the phone. “Well,” she started.

“It’s like I’m in quarantine out here.”

“Everyone thought it’d be a good idea for you to have some peace and quiet. So you could relax and recover.” Kim was using her fake chipper voice, the one she had been using since he was traded.

Taylor dropped his head back and closed his eyes in frustration. “I’m not sick, Mom.” _I’m sad_.

“I know baby. But think of how lucky you are to have the opportunity to get a new start! Away from any bad influences.”

“Is that what this is about?” Taylor put his hand flat against his chest, right where that ache started every time he thought about the trade or someone brought up character issues. “I didn’t think you listened to the rumors.”

“After everything that’s happened, Taylor, I just want you to have the best shot to make a new life for yourself there.”

Taylor felt tears pricking at his eyes. _I don’t want a new life_. He took a shaky breath. “Then why is that box of Oilers stuff here?”

“Oh Taylor,” she sighed. “You can start over but you can’t forget where you came from. You don’t have to open it now, but someday you’ll be happy you kept it.”

Taylor was quiet, so his mom babbled on for a few minutes, telling him about the SUV they had leased for him to use in New Jersey and how his agent had reserved him ice time at a local rink. “You have every day from 10 to noon. It’ll be private and you won’t have to deal with any media.”

“Mom, New Jersey isn’t like Canada. No one knows me here. There’s no media out front to hound me.” Taylor tried not to think of the photographers camped out in front of his apartment in Toronto after the trade.

“I know, baby, but we all think this is a good idea. You can skate and get back in shape and by the time you have to go to camp, you’ll be yourself again.”

Taylor didn’t want to think about what it meant to be himself when everything in his life was different. Who was he anymore, anyway?

It was 8am. Taylor wandered back into the house to make himself breakfast and, at a loss of what else to do, got ready to go to the rink.

***

Taylor arrived at Codey Arena at 10:00 sharp, ready to skate. He was out of sorts, but old habits die hard. He hadn’t been on the ice in two weeks and maybe his mom was right - maybe just skating for a few hours, handling the puck by himself, would make him feel better.

The lobby was quiet but he could hear classical music playing inside the rink. As Taylor walked toward the ice with his gear, the music got louder. Who was playing opera at 10 in the morning?

Taylor walked up to the boards and saw a figure skater, no older than 20, dressed in form-fitting black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt, arcing gracefully across the ice in an arabesque. His hair fluttered around his face and, as he sped past, Taylor caught a glimpse of his outrageous eyebrows.

The figure skater turned toward center ice and, once there, pulled his limbs tightly together into a spin as the music crescendoed. He stopped on a dime at the final note. He then shook his arms out and started his spin again.

Taylor picked up his stick and knocked it against the door in the boards. “Hello?” Taylor’s voice echoed across the ice.

The figure skater stopped spinning and turned to look at Taylor. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, I have the ice. Now. It’s 10 o’clock.”

“I’m sort of in the middle of something?” The figure skater turned away and held his hands out to the side, preparing to spin again.

Was this guy kidding? “I have the ice,” Taylor shouted a little louder. “Don’t you know who I am?”

The figure skater dropped his arms to his sides and sighed. He skated a little closer and stopped to squint in Taylor’s direction. “No,” he said flatly. He skated over to the stereo panel, calling, “I’ll be 10 minutes. You can wait, Mr. Bigshot.”

Taylor heard shuffling behind him and turned to see a man dragging a goal net toward him.

“Oh, you’re here!” The man set down the goal and extended his hand. “I’m Mirco, the rink manager. I talked to your agent on the phone?”

Taylor just stared at him and then turned to the ice, where the figure skater had started the music and was starting his program from the beginning. “My agent said I’d have the ice at 10. Who is that?”

Mirco grimaced. “That’s my cousin Nico, he’s a little stressed about his free skate.” He went over to the boards and shouted as Nico went by, “This is your last run through!” Nico gave him the finger and kept gliding. “Okay,” Mirco said, patting Taylor on the shoulder, “you’re all set.”

“But…” Taylor trailed off as Mirco headed out of the arena. Taylor sat down on the bleachers in a huff. Nico executed some complicated footwork across the ice and then lifted off the ice, rotating in the air like a flash and the landing without effort. He picked up speed and then lifted off into two more quick jumps, and then a leaping split that made Taylor’s eyes widen.

The music reached a crescendo and Nico slid across the ice in a lunge, his back arched and his head laid back. It was so delicate, the line of his neck and the sweep of his arms, that Taylor felt a pang in his chest. Nico did one last jump, pushing off the far edge of his blade at such a velocity that Taylor’s head spun, and then he was spinning in center ice, faster and faster until the last note.

Taylor stood up and thought about clapping, all concern about his ice time forgotten. Nico skated over to the door and held it open for Taylor, who scrambled over. “Your ice,” Nico gestured.

“Uh, thanks,” Taylor said, unsure how to read the amused look on Nico’s face.

“Welcome to New Jersey, _Taylor_ ,” Nico called behind him as he clomped away on his skates.

***

That night, Taylor sat in bed in the dark with his iPad. He pulled up the video of his last game as an Oiler. Taylor had saved it on his iPad and watched this game throughout the spring, trying to figure out where they went wrong, how a team with so many first overall draft picks could miss the playoffs so many years in a row. Now in New Jersey, he watched it again. He watched as the Oilers lost to the Canucks and finished their season in 29th place in the league. He watched as his teammates failed to win in overtime and were bested in the shootout.

He leaned closer to the screen to see if he could find the moment when he was a dead man in Edmonton. When the camera panned over his face on the bench during the shootout, Taylor paused the game, staring at his face on the grainy video. He looked tired, and Taylor remembered the exhaustion at the end of that last futile season. But was he happy? He was playing with his friends in a place that he loved, for fans that he thought loved him. Did that guy know that his entire world was about to be blown up?

Taylor knew he shouldn’t do this to himself. Watching this game was like pushing on a bruise just to feel a twinge of the pain and watch it turn colors, fading back to dull purple. It was satisfying in the moment but in the end, it just made him feel sick.

***

The next day, Taylor arrived at the arena at 10:00 am on the dot for his ice time. Taylor could hear the opera music playing as soon as he entered the lobby and he hurriedly made his way to the ice. Nico was at a footwork sequence and Taylor watched as he gained speed to do his jumps. Nico lifted off into the first but his rotation was off and he lost his edge when he landed, falling on his butt and spinning out into the boards. “Fuck!” he shouted and pounded the ice with his fist. “Fucking fuck fuck!”

“Hey, hey,” Taylor called out, opening the door to the ice and running toward Nico. “Are you okay?” Taylor slid to a stop next to where Nico was still sprawled out on the ice. “Are you ok?”

Nico frowned up at Taylor, his lips parted. “Help me up?” Nico held out his hand.

Taylor took his hand and pulled him up to stand. He patted Nico on the shoulders. “Ok?”

“I’m fine,” Nico huffed defensively. “Haven’t you ever wiped out before?”

“You’re a fan of mine, you tell me,” Taylor said, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling at Nico.

“I’m not a _fan_ ,” Nico said. If Taylor wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of a smile on Nico’s face as he turned away.

“So, hey, how do you get so much lift off of your edges like that?” Taylor said, trailing behind Nico as he went over to the stereo system to unplug his phone.

“What?” Nico turned, looking a little startled.

“Like, you’re all the way on the outside of your blade and you get a lot of power off of it.”

“Are you really asking me for figure skating tips right now?” Nico skated backward as Taylor continued to follow him across the ice.

“I’m just trying to understand, maybe make us both better skaters.”

“No,” Nico said flatly, coming to a stop.

Taylor almost ran into him. “No, what?”

“No, we’re not doing this. I’m not going to _Cutting Edge_ you.”

“What?”

“ _The Cutting Edge_? It’s a movie? A beautiful figure skater,” Nico pointed at himself and then waved his hand toward Taylor, “teaches a washed-up hockey player-”

“Excuse me, _washed up_?” Taylor interrupted, indignant.

“-how to figure skate and they go the Olympics together and fall in love?” Nico continued. “You’ve never seen it?”

“I really don’t see how _this_ ,” Taylor gestured between them, “is anything like _that_. I’m certainly not going to the Olympics with you.”

“Damn straight, I’m going to the Olympics by myself,” Nico said, head held high. "If I can figure out these jumps, maybe,” he said more quietly to himself and turned to skate toward the door.  

“I think you’re really good,” Taylor called, left standing alone on the ice.

“What do you know?” Nico threw over his shoulder as he left.

 _I know things_ , Taylor thought to himself. Then he realized that he was standing alone on the ice in an empty arena wearing sneakers. Maybe Nico had a point.

***

Taylor skated for two hours, practicing his crossovers and shooting pucks hard at an empty net, and then lifted heavy weights for another two hours in the gym in his basement. After that, he swam laps in the pool in his backyard until his whole body felt wrung out.

Even with all the exercise, he was unable to quiet his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about Nico, about the tiny ways Taylor thought Nico was warming up to him and all of the ways that Nico still seemed to hate the sight of Taylor more than ever. All of it seemed like it could be flirting and Taylor wasn’t sure which part of that he liked more.

That night, Taylor settled onto his couch with a glass of wine and his iPad. He pulled up YouTube and searched for "Nico figure skater." There were hundreds of videos of Nico Hischier, going back to his very first competitions when he was a child. Taylor watched a few and could see that Nico had those graceful arms and strong jumps from an early age.

Taylor finally clicked on the most recent video from the free skate at 2016 World Juniors. Nico looked nervous at center ice as the familiar opera music started but he soon settled into the program and the intricate footwork. Taylor held his breath when Nico started skating faster to prepare for the first jump sequence and then shook his head, feeling silly that he was nervous over a figure skating competition that had happened months ago.

Nico aced the first jumps and his smile was blinding as he stretched out his arms and arced into a graceful arabesque, gliding across the ice. Nico's spins were exhilarating, drawing gasps from the crowd when he pulled his leg straight up in front of his face and spun faster, a blur of long limbs and sequins.

But then it was time for the ending jump sequence and Nico's program began to unravel. He didn't get the full rotation on the first jump and took off awkwardly for the second. He landed hard on his butt and slid across the ice looking shell-shocked. He shook his head and got up quickly to do the last jump, now just a single. He finished the program with a series of spins and a graceful flourish of his arms. He bowed to the cheers of the crowd but quickly dropped his arms and slumped off the ice.

Taylor skipped ahead to Nico sitting in the kiss-and-cry with his coach, a bald man with his mouth set in a grimace of disappointment. As the scores scrolled across the bottom of the screen, Nico's lip quivered and he looked over at his coach who looked away.

Taylor skipped ahead again to the medal ceremony, where a red-eyed Nico stood on the bronze medal platform. He quietly accepted his medal and waved weakly at the crowd. During the rest of the ceremony, Nico snuck glances up at the person standing on the gold medal platform, a young man with shoulder-length chestnut hair and a hooded eyes. All three medal winners gathered on the top platform to wave to the crowd and Taylor's face burned when Nico and the other man exchanged looks and whispered in each other's ears.

Taylor shut YouTube and gulped down the rest of his wine.

***

The arena was quiet when Taylor arrived the next day. Taylor walked through the lobby and found Nico standing at the door to the rink. He was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and he was wearing figure skates with blade guards.

"What size shoes do you wear?" Nico demanded when he saw Taylor.

"What?" Taylor shook his head in confusion.

"The things on your feet. What size?"

"Uhh, thirteen."

"Oh my," Nico said, quirking one eyebrow dramatically. "Big boy."

Taylor blushed and then watched as Nico went behind the skate rental counter. "Are you allowed back there?"

"Please," Nico said. "Ah, here we go. Your skates, sir." He held out a pair of scuffed tan men's figure skates to Taylor, who mutely took them and trailed along behind Nico towards the ice.

"I'm waiting," Nico called, taking off his blade guards and stepping out into the ice. Taylor scrambled to put his bag down and the figure skates on. They felt strange, the boots stiff and the blades too long. Taylor tottered over to the ice and stepped onto it, nearly tripping right away.

Nico skated up to him and took his hands. "Come here," he sighed. Nico skated backwards, leading Taylor around the ice. Taylor saw that Nico was biting back a smile.

"Here," Nico said and turned to skate next to Taylor. He tucked himself into Taylor's side and pulled Taylor's arm around his waist. "Stay in rhythm with me." They glided around the ice together like Taylor had seen pairs figure skaters do and Nico even spun them at one point, keeping a steady hold on Taylor's hand the entire time. Taylor was breathless. They were skating fast but Nico was so graceful in his arms. This was so different - and harder - than the powerful charging up the ice that he did on hockey skates.

Nico looked over at him and smiled quickly before skidding to a stop in center ice. Taylor beamed at him.

"What?" Nico said.

"You _Cutting Edged_ me," Taylor teased.

"What? No," Nico scoffed.

"You did, you showed me how to figure skate and now you're going to fall in love with me at the Olympics," Taylor said, skating closer to Nico.

"Ok, first of all," Nico scooted backward, "they don't fall in love _at_ the Olympics. They're already in love and they _realize it_ at the Olympics."

"Tomato, tomahto."

"And b of all. Shut up." Nico turned and skated off the ice, banging the door behind him as he left.

"See you tomorrow," Taylor called.

"Shut up!" Nico yelled back.

***

That night Taylor laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. He was tired from skating and swimming laps, the good kind of tired from training that usually bled away his anxiety and left him calm and sleepy by midnight. Instead, Taylor couldn’t settle down in bed. He kept thrashing in the covers, trying to get comfortable for an hour. Finally he sighed and picked up his iPad from his bedside table and googled Nico.

Taylor clicked on the most recent item - a news story from April about Nico and his coach parting ways. The quotes from Nico and the coach were benign, but Taylor knew what the statements put out by PR reps could hide. He remembered the Oilers' statement about his trade, how every polite “we wish Taylor Hall well” disguised a “fuck you, Taylor.” Taylor read further along in the story and learned that the gold medalist at World Juniors, Nolan Patrick, was coached by the same man.

Taylor scrolled farther down the search results and found a figure skating forum where people were speculating that Nico and Nolan were romantically involved, or that Nolan had demanded the coach get rid of Nico, or that the coach had dumped Nico after his showing at World Juniors. Taylor felt a tightness in his chest and he had to put the iPad down. It reminded him so much of the blind items in the Edmonton newspapers and the rumors on social media about him in the months leading up to the trade. None of those people had known the truth but they speculated anyway, spreading partially wrong information so widely that even Taylor didn’t know what the truth was by the end.

Taylor must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing he knew it was morning. He had been dreaming of skating in a dark arena, a puck on his stick. He was flying toward the goal and when he got closer, he saw that the goalie was himself. _You’re a headcase_ , he thought and got out of bed to swim laps before breakfast.

***

The next morning, Taylor took to the ice before Nico could leave, skating over to him at the stereo. Mirco shuffled in to set up the goal and left.

Nico looked at him in disbelief. “What are you wearing?”

“Goalie pads. And this,” he held out a stick to Nico, “is for you.” Taylor skated over to the goal and got in position, pulling the helmet on.

Nico was still standing by the stereo holding the stick and staring at it blankly. “What’s that now?”

“You’re learning how to play hockey. Come on, take a few shots. I’m ready.”

Nico skated to the blue line and stopped with his hand on his hip. “Who said I don’t know how to play hockey?”

“Come on, give it a try.”

“Ok,” Nico grinned, “you asked for it.” He nudged the puck Taylor had left on the blue line forward, skating faster and faking right before aiming a hard shot right at Taylor’s crotch.

“Ow, were you aiming for my dick? Come on, man,” Taylor moaned, doubled over.

Nico gathered up the puck and circled back around, beginning another approach. Taylor barely had time to set up when Nico aimed another hard shot at his head.

“Hey!” Taylor yelled, whipping off his helmet. “What the fuck, dude?”

Nico came to a stop in a shower of snow. “I grew up at the rink. You think I never shot a puck?” Nico cocked his hip and gave Taylor a cheesy smile.

“I’m going to get you for that,” Taylor said, dropping his stick and charging at Nico.

“Admit that I know how to play hockey!” Nico yelled, weaving away from Taylor, laughing.

“Fine,” Taylor caught Nico and pulled him toward him, “you can shoot _a little_.”

Nico twisted out of Taylor’s arms but skated a circle close around him. “Serves you right for trying to reverse _Cutting Edge_ me.”

Taylor guffawed, turning as Nico circled around him. “Is that where I teach the beautiful figure skater how to play hockey and we fall in love at the Goodwill Games?”

“Exactly,” Nico said, gliding up to Taylor and putting his hands on his chest.

Taylor looked into Nico’s eyes, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling quickly under Nico's touch. “Did it work?”

Nico pushed off of Taylor’s chest, sending himself gliding backwards away from him. “Shut up.”

“Is that a yes?” Taylor called after him, but Nico was already leaving the ice and heading out the door.

***

Taylor floated through his workout that day. He grilled a steak for dinner and sat out on the patio until it was dark, drinking wine and enjoying the evening. He went to bed and slept deeply. He didn’t dream.

There was a spring in his step when he went to the arena the next morning, but he stopped short when he saw that the ice was empty. He wandered through the lobby looking for Nico, but he was nowhere to be found. By 10:15, Taylor gave up and took the ice to skate.

That night, Taylor talked to his mom and tried to relax with a movie, but he kept thinking about Nico. Had Taylor scared him away the other day when they played hockey? Where was Nico and was he spending his night distracted and thinking of Taylor? He went outside to sit by the pool and stayed outside past midnight listening to the cicadas.

Nico didn’t show up at the arena the next day, or the day after that. Taylor spent his time skating harder and harder, swimming longer, lifting heavier, until he was so exhausted that he almost didn’t have the energy to make dinner and get ready for bed. Still, every night he laid in bed wide awake and stared at the ceiling, thinking of Nico’s laugh and wondering where he was.

 _Fuck_ , Taylor thought as he tossed and turned late into the night, _what’s wrong with me_.

***

A week later, Taylor arrived at the arena and heard loud music coming from the ice, but it wasn’t opera. When he got to the boards he saw Nico, an angry set to his brow, skating fast around the ice. His arms, usually graceful, whipped around his body and he landed each jump without his usual elegant flourish. Taylor opened the door to the ice and made it over to the stereo, turning off Courtney Love’s screaming mid-scream.

Nico stopped his spinning and looked accusingly at Taylor. “What the-”

“What is going on?” Taylor gestured around him. “What is this music?”

Nico wiped his face, shiny with sweat, with his sleeve. “Hi to you too, Taylor.”

“Hi,” Taylor walked nearer to him. “Where have you been?”

“I was in Boston, interviewing a new coach.”

“What’s with the music?”

Nico shrugged expansively. “I’m just trying something different. The opera wasn’t working for me anymore.” Nico bit his bottom lip and looked like he might start to cry.

“Hey, a new coach though? That’s cool,” Taylor stammered. He definitely couldn’t handle it if Nico started crying.

“Not actually a new coach. I didn’t hire him. I’m just going to keep doing my own thing.” Nico skated over to hit play on the stereo. “Gotta find my own way, you know?” he yelled over the music.

Taylor nodded and made his way off of the ice to stretch and get his skates on. Nico came off of the ice ten minutes later and walked over to where Taylor was playing with his phone.

Nico took Taylor’s phone out of his hand. “Next time you miss me, you can just text,” he said and handed him back the phone. Taylor saw that Nico had put his number in the phone and his name, along with the dancing lady emoji.

“I didn’t say I missed you.”

“Mmhmm, for sure,” Nico nodded sarcastically.

“Still,” Taylor stood up and put his hand on Nico’s arm. “It’s good to have you back.”

***

Taylor got in the pool to swim laps later that afternoon but ended up floating on his back, watching the clouds skitter across the sky. He put his hand over his heart and felt it beating strong under his sun-warmed skin. He thought about the feel of Nico’s arm under his hand and how seeing Nico every day gave structure to this new life of his, so much so that he had felt unmoored when Nico was in Boston for a week.

Taylor realized that he was probably fixating on Nico because he was so emotionally vulnerable right now. He’d be going to training camp in a few weeks and would get busy with his new team, but for now his whole life was this stupidly big empty house and Nico, floating across the ice toward him.

He could resist this crush and make sure it didn’t grow into actual feelings. He could convince himself that Nico wasn’t flirting with him, that this was all in his head. He could stop looking for Nico at the rink and keep to himself, close out this sad, upsetting summer by himself and head into the next season with a clear head.

Or he could text Nico.

***

_Hey, this is Taylor_

 

**Hi! *sun emoji***

******What are you doing?**

 

_Just finished swimming, you?_

 

**I was napping**

 

_Oh sorry to wake you_

 

**No, you didn’t, I’m happy you texted**

 

_So_

_Do you want to come over and hang out tomorrow afternoon?_

_We can swim and whatever_

_I have to skate and then lift but after?_

 

**Do you need a spotter? ;-)**

 

_I’m benching 220 rn soooo_

 

***shocked face emoji***

**I’ll come over after you’re done**

 

_:-)_

***

**Hey Tay?**

 

_Yeah?_

 

**Sweet dreams *moon emoji***

 

_You too :)_

***

Taylor didn’t see Nico at the rink the next day but Nico did text to ask for his address so knew Nico was still coming over.

Taylor stood frozen in the kitchen that afternoon after his workout. He was wearing just basketball shorts and had a towel around his neck to wipe away the sweat from lifting. He stood in front of the refrigerator, wondering if Nico liked any of the food that he had in the house and if he should break into the expensive wine in the cellar for the occasion. Or would that look like he was trying too hard? Did Nico even care about expensive wine? He didn’t want to look like he was a creepy older guy trying to take advantage of Nico, who he had learned was only 20. Shit, could Nico even drink?

The doorbell rang and Taylor snapped out of his panic spiral. He started rushing to the door before realizing that he looked frantic, so he took a few deep breaths and tried to walk to the door at a normal pace.

Taylor opened the door to Nico, who was wearing a tank top that showed off the lean muscles in his arms and Ray-bans. Nico pushed the sunglasses up onto his head and licked his lips, taking in Taylor’s muscles and tanned skin.

Taylor blushed. “Sorry, I was lifting and I lost track of time.”

“I’m sure you say that to all the boys when you open the door glistening with sweat,” Nico teased.

“I really didn’t plan this, I swear.”

“Mmmhmm, yeah for sure,” Nico said, following Taylor into the house. Taylor could feel Nico’s eyes on his back and maybe he put his shoulders back a little, knowing that Nico would see the rippling of the muscles in his back. “This house is ridiculous, Tay.” Taylor led him into the kitchen and Nico wandered into the open plan great room with its vaulted ceilings and over-sized furniture. The whole back wall of the room was windows and Nico looked out onto the back yard in awe. “I can’t believe you live here by yourself and I’m stuck in a two bedroom house with my cousin.”

“Mirco seems like a cool guy.”

“You don’t have to share a bathroom with him. Oh shit, is that a hot tub?”

“Yeah, I actually haven’t used it yet.”

“Hmm,” Nico tapped his lips with his finger, “interesting.”

Taylor smiled at him. “What?”

“Well, I realized this morning that I don’t have a swimsuit at Mirco’s. So-”

“You can borrow one of mine,” Taylor said quickly, trying to block his mind from going anywhere near the idea of Nico naked in his hot tub. “Let’s go upstairs, I’ll get one for you.”

Nico followed Taylor upstairs and down the hallway to the master bedroom. Taylor went into the walk-in closet to find his swimsuits and Nico flopped on the bed, bouncing until he got comfortable. “Even your bed is huge,” Nico called out.

“I stayed in this hotel in Vancouver a few years ago and liked the mattress so much that I had an extra long one special-ordered and shipped from the company,” Taylor said as he came out of the closet holding three swimsuits.

“I don’t know if those will fit me,” Nico said from where he was sprawled out on Taylor’s bed. “You’re a little thick, you know,” and Nico gestured to Taylor’s lower body.

“Are you calling me fat?” Taylor said with mock indignation.

Nico jumped up and grabbed Taylor by the waist, turning him around. “I’m talking about your ass, which is _not_ _fat_ _at all_ , but which I assume has its own zip code?”

“Shut up,” Taylor lightly slapped Nico’s hands away and tossed a pair of short yellow swim trunks at him. “Try these on.”

“I’ll just do a couple hundred squats and then I’m sure they’ll fit,” Nico sassed and scooted past him to the bathroom before Taylor could respond.

Nico emerged a few minutes later. “Do they look ok?” He put his hands on his hips and did a quick turn. Taylor’s mouth went dry at the sight of Nico’s pert ass under the bright yellow fabric and the way the trunks sat low on his hips.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Nico smirked. “Meet you downstairs.”

***

When Taylor came downstairs in his own pair of bright blue swim trunks - the short ones that spread tight over his muscular thighs - Nico was rooting around in his refrigerator. “Can I have a beer?” Nico asked, already twisting off the top of a micro-brew.

“I don’t know, can you? You’re only 20.”

"C'mon Dad," Nico pouted.

"Definitely don't call me Dad."

"What about Daddy?" Nico winked, tilting the bottle up to take a drink.

“You’re a menace,” Taylor shook his head and grabbed his own beer.  

“I think it’s your abs that are the menace,” Nico said in a low voice and ran his nails over Taylor’s stomach. Taylor shivered at the sensation.

Nico wandered out of the kitchen and Taylor followed him, sipping his beer slowly. Nico walked into the study and looked at the framed jerseys. He trailed his fingertips over the gallery of pictures, stopping at one from Taylor’s draft day. “You look like a baby here,” he smiled.

Taylor stood behind him and tried to block out the Oilers logo on his chest. “I was 19.”

“Who is this?” Nico pointed to the young man in the Bruins jersey next to him in one of the pictures.

“That’s Tyler, he was number 2 overall.”

“He’s a snack,” Nico stage whispered.

“I heard that,” Taylor nudged him in the back.

Nico moved down the wall and stood in front of a candid photo of Taylor with Connor, Ryan, and Jordan. They were all laughing and Jordan’s eyes were squeezed shut. “What about these guys?”

“They were my teammates in Edmonton. Jordan,” Taylor pointed, “was my best friend.”

Nico turned to him and put his hand on his arm. “Was?”

Taylor shrugged and moved toward the door, hoping they could stop talking about this soon.

“And what about that Oilers box over there? Other things from your past?”

Taylor looked down at his beer. “I must have something stronger around here. Do you like tequila?”

***

Taylor and Nico lounged on floaties in the pool, the yellow gold of the expensive tequila Taylor found in the wet bar shining in their glasses. Nico’s head was laid back so his hair was dangling into the water and Taylor couldn’t help staring at the graceful line of his neck. Taylor already felt drunk on the sight of Nico's skin, all that lean muscle down his chest and the tight plane of his stomach.

Trying to get his mind off of Nico's body, he asked, “How did you know that you wanted to be a figure skater?”

“I met Sasha Cohen when I was like 6 and fell in love with her.”

Taylor choked on his drink.

Nico laughed. “I know, I know, and I was such a gay little kid! I think I was distracted by all of the sequins. But she practiced at the rink near where we lived when we first came to the States and I started taking lessons with someone who used to coach her. And that was it. I was hooked.”

“How’d you end up in New Jersey?”

“Tay,” Nico whined, grabbing his ankle and spinning his floatie around so Taylor’s face was closer to his.

Taylor shrugged. “You know how _I_ ended up here.”

“Actually, I don’t, but I did hear rumors.”

"None of which are true.”

“Hmm,” Nico pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and squinted at Taylor in the bright sun. “Ok, well, for the last few years, I lived in Toronto and trained with a coach there and I was sort of involved with another skater who had the same coach. His name is Nolan. But it ended really badly between us.”

Taylor was quiet, sipping his drink and watching Nico stare at him with an intense look in his eyes. Nico took a big gulp of tequila and paddled over to set his glass down on the edge of the pool.

“Basically Nolan didn’t want to be public about us. Like, he thought if he was open about who he was, he wouldn’t get sponsorships or something. It was suffocating, being in love with someone who didn’t want to let anyone else know that I existed, you know?”

Taylor paddled over and nodded, even though he didn't know. He downed the rest of his drink and put his glass next to Nico’s.

“So we broke up and I was a mess. And then after World Juniors he offered our coach an ultimatum - him or me - and Coach picked him. So I came here because I can live with Mirco and train at the rink and now I’m trying to figure out a new long program for this upcoming season because skating that old program...it feels like living with a ghost, you know?”

Taylor thought about the box of Oilers stuff inside the house. He bit his lip and scooted his floatie closer to Nico until their arms were touching. “Yeah, I know,” he said quietly.

Nico rolled his head back on the floatie to look at Taylor again. “I’m pretty buzzed,” he said. And then before Taylor could react, Nico flipped Taylor over into the water.

Taylor plunged to the bottom of the pool and suddenly felt how buzzed he was too, how cold the water was on his skin after the heat of the sun. He surfaced sputtering and grabbed Nico, dragging him off of his floatie and into the pool with him. Nico flailed in Taylor’s arms until he was under the water, and then he grew calm. Taylor opened his eyes underwater to see Nico looking back at him, his hair floating around his head like seaweed. Nico touched Taylor’s face and smiled, and then floated up, away to the surface.

They swam until they were tired, and then laid on towels in the late afternoon sun on the lawn. Nico played music on his phone, something lo-fi with a good beat, and they drank more tequila until they were hungry.

Taylor grilled steaks for them while Nico dug around in the kitchen, emerging when the steaks were done with a salad made with vegetables that Taylor didn’t even know he had and a delicious dressing that Nico had made from scratch. Taylor fetched them a bottle of the expensive wine ( _fuck it_ , he thought, _Nico’s worth it_ ) and poured them large glasses. They ate in companionable silence, listening to the sound of kids playing down the block and sprinklers ticking on neighboring lawns.

It was dusk by the time they cleared the dishes. When they were done, Nico refilled his wine glass and wandered to the hot tub. He looked over at Taylor, still hovering near the table. He raised an eyebrow and slid into the bubbling water.

Taylor came over and got into the hot tub next to him. He was warm from the sun and full from dinner. This day with Nico was the happiest he’d had since arriving in New Jersey and maybe it was the wine, but he never wanted it to end.

“This is a little cheesy, you know,” Nico grinned at him over the rim of his glass.

“What, us together in the hot tub?”

“Yeah, one of us should be putting the moves on the other,” Nico said.

“I feel like that’s more your speed.”

“How _dare_ you,” Nico gasped but he was smiling, his eyes dancing with reflection of the lights in the hot tub.

“I’m actually really shy.”

“Yeah,” Nico nodded, “I can tell by how you’ve been parading around here half-naked all day.”

Taylor laughed at Nico’s teasing. “You didn’t seem to mind.”

“Nope,” Nico said and took a long sip of wine.

Taylor looked down. “No, I mean I’m shy about approaching people. Like in bars, I was never good at picking up guys or whatever.”

“You have had sex with a man before, right?”

“Yes, god,” Taylor groaned, shoving at Nico’s shoulder. “Why do you care?” Taylor asked, knowing it was a leading question, knowing what he wanted Nico to say.

“Because,” Nico pressed up next to him, putting his hand on Taylor’s thigh and licking his lips, “it might be in my personal interest for you to know what you’re doing.” He leaned in toward Taylor and Taylor closed his eyes -

“Hey, Nico!”

Taylor’s eyes snapped open and Nico pulled back. “Oh my god,” he exhaled.

"Nico, are you ready?” It was Mirco, yelling over Taylor’s fence.

“I am so sorry,” Nico said, his face cheeks red. “Mirco’s my ride and I guess it’s later than I thought.”

Taylor let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding and they got out of the hot tub. They dried off quickly and he followed Nico inside and watched as Nico gathered up his clothes. "I'll give you back your swimsuit tomorrow, ok?" Nico asked. He looked a little disappointed and Taylor felt the same way as he walked Nico to the door.

"Thanks for coming over, it was fun."

"Yeah," Nico said, taking Taylor's hand and squeezing it. Nico leaned in to brush a soft kiss on Taylor's cheek and then he was gone.

***

Taylor drank a Gatorade and took two Tylenol before bed to stave off the sun and alcohol headache he could feel coming on. The next morning, he slept until 9 and grabbed a quick cup of coffee before heading to the rink.

The arena was quiet when he arrived at 10 but Nico was there on the ice, practicing his camel spins over and over again. Taylor stood at the boards and watched, taken by the focused look on Nico’s face and his leg stretched out long behind him as he spun blindingly fast. Taylor thought about Nico’s skin, how close he had been the day before, how he could have reached out and touched all of him and felt him soft and warm under his fingers. But Nico had to go suddenly and Taylor had been left alone in his house again, half-drunk and wanting.

Taylor took a deep breath and put his skates on while Nico finished his practice. He looked up to see Nico walking over to him.

“Hi,” Taylor said, feeling shy all of a sudden.

“Hey,” Nico smiled. “About yesterday…”

“Yeah,” Taylor smiled back at him, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I had a really good time. I’m sorry I had to go so soon.”

“It’s ok, we’ll just have to hang out again.”

“Yeah?” Nico was looking at him intently.

“Of course. If you want to?” Taylor was sure that he was blushing under Nico’s gaze and he felt a swoop in his stomach.

“I want to,” Nico said, biting his lip and smiling like he had a secret. “Have a good skate,” Nico said, kissing Taylor lightly on his lips, and then he was gone.

Taylor touched his mouth, surprised by the kiss and desperate to feel Nico there again. He wanted so much more.

***

Later that week, Taylor was lying in bed, unable to sleep despite the fact that it was 1am. _Maybe I should just jerk off and go to sleep_ , he thought. Instead, he texted Nico.

 

_Are you up?_

 

**Depends, is this a booty call?**

 

_Lol no I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d see if you were awake_

 

**I mean, I wouldn’t mind it if was a booty call…**

 

_Oh really?_

 

**Yeah, I don’t know if you’ve noticed that I’m pretty into your bod**

 

Taylor looked at Nico’s text and felt his face get hot. He started typing a response but deleted it. What was he supposed to say that wouldn’t sound like too much? He didn’t want to tell Nico that he had started dreaming about his lips or that every time he touched himself, he thought about the soft skin on Nico’s throat and how much he wanted to sink his teeth into it.

 

**I hope that’s ok**

 

_It’s more than ok_

 

**Ok good bc I was thinking about the other day in the hot tub and how much I wanted your hands on me**

 

Taylor dropped his phone on his stomach and ran his hands through his hair. Fuck worrying about it being too much. Nico was into this.

 

_I really wanted that too_

 

**I was about to climb into your lap**

 

_Omg don’t tell me that_

 

**I was wondering if I had to take that stupid yellow swimsuit off to get your attention**

 

_No, you had my attention but good instincts_

_I was thinking about you naked in my hot tub_

 

**What about me naked in your bed**

 

_Yeah, I’m thinking about that right now_

 

**Are you? What else are you doing?**

 

_Nicooooo_

 

**Tayyyyy**

**Are you touching yourself**

 

_Yes, god_

 

**Wish I was there so I could feel you**

 

_Me too, I want your mouth_

 

**Fuck**

**It’s yours**

 

_Nico you can’t just say that_

_I can’t believe I haven’t even kissed you yet_

 

**Whose fault is that**

 

_Mirco’s, technically_

 

**I’m going to a show tomorrow night in Clifton, you should take me**

 

_Ok_

 

**Pick me up at 9pm. I’ll text you the address**

**Have fun jerking off ;)**

 

_You’re a brat_

 

**You like it ;)**

**Sweet dreams**

 

Taylor reread their conversation, stroking himself lazily as he thought about Nico’s words and how much he seemed to want Taylor. He thought about what he’d do if Nico were there, how he’d fuck his face if Nico let him and eat him out until he was shaking and ready for him. He wanted Nico underneath him, soft and yielding under Taylor’s big body, his eyes hungry for him. Taylor came in his hand and fell asleep before he could even clean himself up.

***

When Taylor saw Nico at the rink the next morning, Nico gave him a sweet smile and breezed past him, saying, “See you tonight.” Taylor was left staring in his wake, half hard at the memory of their text conversation from the night before. ( _Sexting_ , Taylor admonished himself, _you were sexting with him._ )

Taylor threw himself into his skating and his workout after so he wouldn’t spend time being nervous about seeing Nico that night. He took a nap and ate an early dinner, then passed the time before he had to get ready talking to his mom and his agent on the phone. His agent wanted to talk about the start of training camp and setting up meetings with the Devils coaching staff. Taylor half-listened and agreed to whatever he was saying.

***

Taylor pulled up in front of Mirco’s house in South Orange at 9pm sharp and Nico bounded out the front door. Mirco followed him to the front porch and shouted “1am Nics, you’re in training!” Nico turned around and gave him the finger.

Nico slid into the passenger seat of Taylor’s SUV and leaned over to give Taylor a quick kiss on the cheek. “He’s just looking out for me,” Nico said, waving to Mirco as they pulled away from the curb.

Nico directed them to the highway and then to Clifton, where he had Taylor park near a bodega on a quiet street of houses and stores that were already closed for the night. They got out of the car and Taylor looked around, wondering where this show was going to be. Nico came up to stand next to him and wound his arm around Taylor’s waist, resting his hand on Taylor’s hip. “Where do you even find pants that fit you like this, _Christ_.”

Taylor laughed. “Stop staring at my ass.”

“I will when you stop wearing such tight pants.” Nico licked his lips and grinned at him, pulling him toward the bodega.

“Hey guys,” Nico said as they passed some long-haired kids dressed in black smoking out in front of the store.

“Hey Nics, who’s your friend,” a girl said, standing in front of the entrance.

“Hey Maddie, this is Taylor.” Nico turned to Taylor. “Maddie’s with the band.”

“Hey,” Taylor said, putting his hands in his pockets because he didn’t know what else to do with his hands.

“I’ll come up with you, we’re about to start,” Maddie said, stubbing out her cigarette and pulling open the door to the bodega.

Maddie and Nico led Taylor through the store, waving hi to the owner and walking to the back near the beverage cases. They ducked through a curtain and climbed the stairs behind it. When they got to the top of the stairs, Taylor was hit with a wave of heat from the bodies pressed into the small space. Maddie went over to where the band was tuning up in the first crowded room and Nico led Taylor to the other, the one with couches and recording equipment pushed along the walls and a makeshift bar set up in the corner.

“Hey man,” Nico said, high-fiving the bartender and taking two beers from him. He handed one beer to Taylor and clinked the bottles together in a toast.

“Where are we?” Taylor said after taking a swig of his beer.

“A friend’s place. A bunch of bands rehearse here and sometimes they have shows.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had to go through a store to see a band play before.”

“Welcome to dirty Jersey,” Nico smirked and gulped his beer. He took Taylor’s hand and they joined the crowd in the other room. The band began to play, the lead singer’s voice strong and clear over the bass. Nico leaned back against Taylor’s body and turned his head to smile at him. He grabbed Taylor’s free hand and brought it around his waist to hold flat against his stomach. They moved together, not dancing really but swaying with the crowd. Taylor pressed a kiss to the side of Nico’s neck and downed the rest of his beer, already feeling buzzed from the contact and the heat.

Nico was singing along with the band, his voice charmingly out of tune. Taylor looked up and caught Maddie’s eye while she was playing the keyboards. She rolled her eyes and smiled at him and he shrugged helplessly back and put his hand in Nico’s hair.

After a few more songs, Nico pulled Taylor out of the room and got them another drink, a shot of something brown and strong in a plastic cup this time. They gulped it down and then squeezed onto the couch, legs and arms pressed close together. Nico fished around in his pocket until he pulled out a joint and held it up to Taylor. “Yeah?”

Taylor exhaled. “I haven’t done that in a while.” He thought about lying on the floor of his apartment in Edmonton with Jordan, laughing hysterically as a stoned Connor tried to push an entire piece of pizza into his mouth.

“We don’t have to,” Nico said, bumping Taylor with his shoulder.

“No, it’s cool,” Taylor smiled.

Nico pulled out a lighter and lit the joint, taking a hit and passing it to Taylor. Taylor took a drag and tried to hold the smoke in his lungs but ended up coughing violently. Nico laughed and patted him on the back, taking the joint and another hit. “You ok, big guy?”

Taylor bumped his shoulder against Nico’s. They passed the joint back and forth until the guy on Nico’s left asked for a hit. They laid back on the couch and Nico put his head on Taylor’s shoulder. “Tay,” he sighed.

“Yeah?”

“You ever think about how every decision that you make in your life has brought you to this exact moment and if like maybe five years ago you got pepperoni instead of sausage on your pizza your life would be completely different?”

Taylor laughed for long time and then fell serious. “No, I literally never thought of that.”

Nico stood up and pulled Taylor up by his hands. “Come on,” he said, leading Taylor back to the other room to see the band. The room was even more crowded than earlier and they were pressed against each other. Taylor could feel his heart beating in his ears as Nico stared at him, looking from Taylor’s eyes to his lips and then leaning in.

Nico kissed him slowly, biting softly at Taylor’s bottom lip and sliding his hand up to the back of Taylor’s neck. When Nico slid his tongue into his mouth, Taylor felt a jolt of electricity and he started kissing back, faster, with both his hands in Nico’s hair. Taylor pulled Nico’s hair gently to angle his face and felt Nico melt against him.

The lead singer was singing, and Taylor could hear the music all around him as he kissed Nico.

 

_I wanna spend the entire year_

_Just face down_

_And on my own time_

_I wanna waste mine_

_And spend the rest of it asking myself_

_"Is this who you are?"_

_And I don't know_

_It just feels gross_

 

Taylor was overwhelmed by the lyrics and the heat of Nico’s lips. He pulled away from Nico and yelled over the music, “We should get out of here.”

“Hell yes,” Nico said, grabbing Taylor’s hand and leading him toward the stairs. He waved at Maddie on his way past and she made a barfing face at them.

They made it halfway down the stairs before Taylor pushed Nico against the wall to kiss him. Nico ground his hips against him when Taylor licked into his mouth. Nico pulled away and said, “Where are we going?”

“My house?” Taylor panted, mouthing at Nico’s neck.

“What time is it?”

Taylor looked at his watch. “Twelve o’clock. Fuck.”

Nico looked at him and smiled. “Back seat of your car?”

“The windows are tinted,” Taylor said, grabbing Nico’s hand and leading him down the stairs and through the bodega.

Outside, Taylor tried to unlock the car but was distracted by Nico’s hands sliding up under Taylor’s t-shirt. Taylor finally opened the door for Nico, who scrambled across the back seat, and he followed him, pressing his mouth to Nico’s and kissing him hard. Taylor lifted Nico onto his lap while they kissed.

“God, you’re strong,” Nico gasped, breaking their kiss to pull his shirt over his head. He found the hem of Taylor’s shirt and pulled it off, staring down at Taylor’s chest with his lips parted. Nico spread his fingers over Taylor’s shoulders. “I wanted to touch you here so badly the other day. Your fucking shoulders.” Nico kissed across Taylor’s collarbone and then caught Taylor’s lips.

Taylor slid his hands down Nico’s back to his ass while they kissed, palming Nico over his jeans and grinding against him. “Where else do you want to touch?” Taylor asked into Nico’s mouth.

“ _Everywhere_ ,” Nico groaned. “You’re so big, I want to touch everywhere.” Nico touched and kissed Taylor’s chest and pulled at Taylor’s belt. “Do you still want my mouth?”

Taylor pushed Nico’s hands away and undid his belt and pants. “Yes,” he hissed, pulling Nico to his mouth again by the back of his neck. He kissed him deeper, more desperately as Nico tugged at the waistband of Taylor’s pants and underwear until Taylor lifted his hips so he could slide them down.

Nico climbed off of Taylor’s lap and settled on the floor of the backseat at Taylor’s feet. “My god, you are thick _everywhere_ ,” Nico said, leaning in to take Taylor’s cock in his hand and swirl his tongue around the head.

Taylor moaned and put his hands in Nico’s hair. He watched as Nico took him down slowly, dizzy from the joint and the feel of Nico’s mouth on him. Taylor tightened his hands in Nico’s hair and whispered, “Can I?”

Nico took him all the way down, fast, and that was all Taylor needed to let his hips thrust up into Nico’s mouth. He watched Nico’s lips, already red, stretch around him. “You don’t know what you do me,” Taylor panted. “You make me fucking crazy, you are so fucking good at this.” Nico hummed against him, dragging his tongue flat against Taylor as he bobbed his head up and down. After a few minutes, Taylor pulled Nico off of him with a pop.

“What?” Nico looked indignant.

“Come here,” Taylor said, pulling Nico up so Nico was straddling him. Taylor undid Nico’s belt and pants and then took Nico’s cock out of his underwear. Nico thrust against Taylor, sliding against Taylor’s cock, still wet with Nico’s saliva. Taylor licked his palm and put his hand around them both, stroking down firmly and biting at Nico’s neck when he threw his head back. “God, baby, you are so hot,” Taylor said into Nico’s ear and Nico whined in response, jerking his hips up for more friction against Taylor. “Do you want more?”

Nico nodded, kissing Taylor deep and writhing against him. Taylor stroked him faster, bringing his fist up over the head of Nico’s cock on every upstroke and squeezing on the way down, making Nico pant harder.

“Fuck, fuck,” Nico said desperately, “please, please.”

“Please, what?” Taylor smiled into Nico’s neck, trying to stay calm even as he felt the heat building in his lower abdomen.

“Can I come, please?” Nico begged.

“Yes, baby, yes,” Taylor said and felt Nico pulsing and coming all over his hand.

Nico put his forehead on Taylor’s shoulder and turned his head to mouth at Taylor’s neck. “Oh my god.”

“You asked my permission,” Taylor panted, stroking his own cock. With his other hand, he tugged on Nico’s hair until he could look in Nico’s eyes. “You asked me to come.”

Nico bit his lip and leaned in to kiss along Taylor’s jaw. “I want to be good for you,” he whispered.

“Oh fuck,” Taylor moaned, “you can’t just say that.”

“What can’t I say?”

“Nico, fuck.”

"‘Cause I do want to be good for you. So good that you’ll fuck me and and not let me come until I’m begging.”

“Fuck,” Taylor moaned and came hard in his hand. “You’re going to fucking kill me.”

Nico smiled and kissed him sweetly until Taylor caught his breath and could kiss him back. “Take me home?”

“I need something to clean up with.”

Nico picked up Taylor’s shirt from the floor of the back seat. “Here, use this. It’s ugly.”

“You brat,” Taylor grabbed the shirt and threw it at Nico, who caught it and rubbed in it the come on Taylor’s stomach.

Taylor leaned in and bit Nico’s shoulder. “Be good.”

Nico lifted his eyebrows. “Make me.”

***

The next day, Taylor got to the rink early to see Nico before his skate. He hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep but he was buzzing with excitement from the night before so he got up early to swim and make an omelette before leaving for the arena.

When he arrived at the rink, he saw Nico standing at center ice on his skates talking to a bald-headed man wearing street shoes. They were talking quietly, heads bent together and Taylor could see that Nico was rubbing at his forehead like he was frustrated. Taylor recognized the man from his google search. It was Nico’s old coach.

Without thinking, Taylor opened the door to the ice and walked toward them. The man looked up at him in surprise.

“Nico, are you okay?” Taylor said, taking his arm. “Who is this?”

The coach turned to Taylor and held out his hand. “Jim Hoffman. Nico’s coach. And you are?"

“Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils. And I think you mean Nico’s former coach,” Taylor corrected, pointedly not shaking Jim’s hand.

“I was just discussing that with Nico, actually.”

“I’m standing right here! Don’t you think I’m the one who gets to decide this?” Nico had his fists balled up at his sides and he looked from Taylor to Jim and back again. “Tay, we’ll talk about this later,” Nico said quietly, skating away with Jim walking behind him.

Taylor stood on the ice for a moment before he walked off the ice and went home.

***

Taylor swam furiously that afternoon, smacking the water with his arms like he was mad at it. He raced back and forth, barely taking breaks to breathe and ended up sprawled on the pool steps, panting and feeling like he was going to throw up.

He drank a bottle of wine with dinner but that only made him feel worse. Nico hadn’t texted and Taylor was so confused about what was going on with him. Was he going back to Toronto? Was he going back to Nolan? Or would he stay in New Jersey and was Taylor even a factor in that choice? The thought of asking Nico to stay for him made him feel sick. He knew that Nico should do the best thing for his career and he couldn’t even factor in such a big decision.

But at the same time, Taylor wanted to be selfish. He had had his entire life upended and he was in this strange place, lonely and out of sorts, and Nico was the only thing he had that he liked about his life. He didn’t know if he’d ever like New Jersey or being a Devil but he was sure about Nico right away.

***

Later that night, Taylor started a fire in the fire pit behind the patio and sat by it, staring into the flames and drinking a beer. The night was quiet and all Taylor could hear was the pop and crackle of the wood as it caught ablaze and burned bright.

“Hey,” a voice startled him from by the fence. “It’s Nico, can you let me in?”

Taylor went to the gate and opened it to find Nico, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jean shorts and his shoulders up around his ears. Taylor stood back to let Nico in and then brought another chair to the fire pit for him. Nico sank into it heavily and Taylor handed him his beer.

“Thanks. I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.”

Taylor sighed. “Of course I do. I was worried about you.”

Nico nodded, staring into the fire. “I didn’t know that Jim was coming. I certainly didn’t invite him.”

Taylor nodded, looking over at Nico. “So, did you decide what you’re going to do?”

Nico laughed quietly to himself. “I’m not going back with him. He’s still coaching Nolan, plus he already dumped me once. I don’t need him, I don’t need either of them.”

“I think that’s probably a good decision.”

“Yeah, it’s good to move forward. You can’t hang onto the past, you know? I don’t know what the future’s going to be and I’m fucking scared but I’m moving up to seniors this year and I think that I can make it a great season for me.”

Taylor looked down at his feet until his vision swam. He tried to wipe his tears away quickly but Nico saw and came over to kneel next to his chair.

“Hey, are you ok?”

Taylor smiled at him and put his hand on the back of Nico’s neck where his hair was getting long and curling. “I’m really scared too. I’ve spent so much time thinking about Edmonton and everything that went wrong that I don’t know if I’m ready for this season.”

“I have an idea,” Nico said. He got up and disappeared into the house, emerging a minute later with the box of Oilers stuff. He dropped it by Taylor’s chair and gestured to the fire pit. “Only one way to move forward.”

“Are you serious?”

Nico nodded and put his hands on his hips. “Make a clean break from the past. Burn this old shit.”

Taylor laughed and pulled Nico in for a hug. “You’re crazy, you know that?” He let go of Nico and opened the box, pulling out his Oilers workout gear from the top of the box. “Ok, here we go.”

“Do it,” Nico said. Taylor flung the t-shirts and shorts into the fire pit and watched as they caught fire. “What’s next?”

“Hats,” Taylor said, sending ball caps and knit hats into the flames, burning brighter than ever. “And hoodies.”

Nico put his arm around Taylor’s shoulder. “You’re doing great. Anything left?”

Taylor leaned over the box and pulled out a jersey. He remembered pulling it, framed, off the wall and smashing it on the floor the night he was traded. He remembered his mom leading him away from the broken glass, he remembered how drunk he was.

Taylor turned it over and touched his name and number on the back. He sat staring at it for a long moment and then folded the jersey. “I’m going to keep this. It’s from my draft day.” He looked at Nico, who was looking back at him with shining eyes. “That was the most important day of my life and even the trade can’t take that away from me.”

Nico nodded and picked up the empty box, tossing it onto the fire. “What now?”

“You come to bed with me?” Taylor asked hopefully.

***

They pulled each other’s shirts off while walking through the kitchen and fumbled with Nico’s shorts on the stairs. Nico pulled off Taylor’s shorts on the landing and shimmied out of his own briefs in the bedroom doorway. By the time Taylor pushed Nico back onto the bed in the dark bedroom, they were both naked.

Taylor draped himself over Nico and kissed him. It felt even better than in his dreams, the feel of Nico soft underneath him and the sight of Nico’s legs falling open for him. Nico moaned softly when Taylor bit his neck and sucked marks down the front of his chest, hissing at the suction of Taylor’s mouth on the sensitive skin right next to his cock.

Taylor touched Nico softly, whispering his fingers up and down his cock before taking Nico into his mouth. He sucked him down and let his jaw relax so Nico would hit the back of his throat. Nico bucked off of the bed and Taylor hooked his arm over Nico’s hips to hold him still. Taylor could feel Nico getting harder in his mouth so he slowed down, at one point pulling off of him entirely and waiting for Nico to stop trying to move against him. Nico threw his head back in frustration so Taylor crawled up his body and kissed Nico long and slow, pinning his wrists into the mattress above Nico’s head. “Stay like this for me?”

Nico whined. His lips were swollen and red and he had a wild look in his eyes. Taylor touched his face and kissed him softly. “You okay?”

Nico bit his lip and nodded. “I want you,” he whispered.

Taylor dropped his head to Nico’s shoulder. “Can I fuck you?” Taylor asked into Nico’s skin, hot under his lips.

“Please,” Nico breathed, “please.”

Taylor kept eye contact with Nico as he leaned down, dragging his tongue down until he reached his hole. Nico gasped when Taylor circled his tongue and then began to thrust in, letting his saliva drip down and get Nico wet. Nico was louder when Taylor lubed up his fingers and added one at a time. When Taylor finally sank three fingers in deep, Nico started begging, his eyes squeezed shut and his arms shaking where he still had them held over his head. “Are you going to wait until I’m inside you to come?” Taylor asked as he spread his fingers.

Nico was beyond words and he just groaned, and then louder again when Taylor pulled out his fingers to get the condom ready. He bent Nico’s legs over his head and touched him, watching as a shiver ran through Nico’s body and then Taylor leaned forward, sinking slowly into him. Nico cried out in pleasure, a string of curses and Taylor’s name that bordered on incoherent. Taylor leaned forward to kiss him, licking into his open mouth and turning his head to breathe against Nico’s cheek. Taylor was so hard and just getting inside Nico was overwhelming.

“Tay, please,” Nico sounded desperate already and Taylor hadn’t even started fucking him in earnest yet. Taylor started moving, drawing a stream of moans from Nico’s throat. “Please can I come, you can keep going but I need to, I need to.” Nico was flushed and was moving his hips to take Taylor deeper, chasing his orgasm so intently that he was clawing at Taylor’s shoulders, digging his fingernails into the skin.

“Come for me baby, it’s ok,” Taylor said into his hair and he felt Nico go off underneath him, coming hot against his stomach and pulling Taylor in deeper with each pulse. Taylor kept moving, fucking through Nico's orgasm and slowing when Nico’s breath caught. “Is this too much?”

“Don’t stop, don't stop please,” Nico said, sliding his legs down to wrap them around Taylor’s waist. He dug his heels into Taylor’s lower back so Taylor started speeding up, his breaths coming shorter as he fucked faster into Nico.

“How are you so good,” Taylor panted, “you feel so fucking good.” He reached between them and felt that Nico was still hard. “Oh god, baby, are you going to come again for me?” He wrapped his own hand around Nico, stroking him roughly in time with his thrusts. Nico squeezed his eyes shut and Taylor saw a tear slip from the corner of his eye down his cheek. “Hey, look at me.”

Nico’s eyes snapped open and he looked at Taylor, dazed.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” Nico moaned, “it’s so good, please, more." Taylor kissed him, keeping his mouth against Nico’s as he got closer. He didn’t want to stop, he wanted to be in Nico forever and he wanted to come deep inside him. He fucked deeper, grinding into Nico longer, trying to stay in this moment, hanging right on the edge with Nico out of his mind beneath him. Finally, Nico cried out and came again, harder this time, and pulled Taylor over the edge with him.

After, Taylor cleaned them both up with a washcloth and slid under the covers up against Nico’s back. “Stay,” he whispered into Nico’s ear. Nico pulled Taylor's arm around him and Taylor settled around the curve of Nico's body. They were both asleep in no time.

***

The next morning, Taylor woke to the sound of an alarm. He got up and followed the sound to Nico's shorts on the floor in the upstairs hallway. He took out his phone and brought it back to the bed, thrusting it at Nico. "Babe, your alarm."

"Ugh," Nico groaned, fumbling with the phone to turn off the alarm. "Mirco's picking me up for practice in a half hour."

"Nope, you're staying in bed with me all day," Taylor said, kissing the side of Nico's neck and sliding his hand to the flat of his stomach.

"I wish I could," Nico sighed.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Never better. You're quite the cuddler."

"Once I had you in my bed, I wasn't going to let go." Taylor pulled Nico closer and ground his cock, already hard, against Nico. Taylor slid his cock between Nico's ass cheeks, brushing against his hole. "I want to be inside of you again," Taylor whispered into Nico's ear. "I need more of you." Taylor was already so turned on by Nico that he knew he could come just by rutting against him.

Nico guided Taylor's hand down to his cock, hard and already wet at the tip. Taylor held him loosely, stroking slowly as he slid into the cleft of Nico's ass. They started sleepily but soon the bedroom was filled with the sound of their moans and the wet friction of their skin. Nico was thrusting up into Taylor's hand and reaching back to hold onto Taylor's neck. "That's it, baby, just like that," Taylor whispered in Nico's ear. Nico cried out and came into Taylor's hand.

"Fuck," Taylor breathed out and wiped Nico’s come on his own cock. He pulled Nico back to him hard by his hip and moved against him, the slide against his ass wetter and sloppier now. Taylor was breathing hard, hips stuttering as he got closer. Nico held on as Taylor came against him.

Nico chuckled, "Now I have to go wash your come off me." Taylor held him close for one more kiss and then reluctantly let him go, lying back in bed and listening to the sound of the shower. When Nico emerged wrapped in a towel, Taylor helped him find his clothes from where they were scattered around the house.

They stood in the front hallway waiting for Mirco, Nico leaning against Taylor with his head on Taylor's chest. "I'll see you in at the rink in a few hours," Taylor said.

“I know, I just don’t want to go,” Nico said, looking up at Taylor.

"Come over tonight and stay the weekend, we'll have plenty of time together."

"Yeah?" Nico said hopefully.

Outside, Mirco tapped his car horn. "Yeah, now have a good skate and don't think about me too much."

Nico rolled his eyes and kissed Taylor again before slipping out the door.

***

Nico showed up at Taylor’s front door that night with cartons of Chinese food that Taylor quickly put in the fridge before taking Nico upstairs to his bed. Taylor arranged Nico on his hands and knees and took his time getting him ready, licking into him and opening him up excruciatingly slowly before sliding into him inch by desperate inch. “Fuck, fuck,” Nico moaned into the pillow, fingers gripping the sheets. Taylor rocked against Nico, curled over his back and mouthing at the nape of his neck until Nico tightened impossibly around him, drawing out his orgasm until Taylor collapsed on top of him.

They stayed tangled in the sheets, eating lo mein out of the cartons with chopsticks and making out sloppily between bites. They talked until late in the evening. Nico told Taylor about his ideas for his new long program and played the music for him on his phone, something instrumental that started with a quiet piano and crescendoed with strings at the end. Taylor told Nico what he knew about his new teammates and what he thought training camp would be like when it started in three weeks.

Later, Taylor picked Nico up off of the bed and carried him into the shower, soaping him up and massaging shampoo into his hair. Nico dropped to his knees and sucked Taylor off under the warm water and drank down every drop. After, Taylor pushed Nico up against the wall of the shower and jerked him off roughly, the way that Nico loved, whispering “come for daddy” in his ear. Nico threw his head back and cried out, his legs buckling underneath him as he came.

“You’re not playing fair,” Nico murmured sleepily into Taylor’s neck while Taylor wrapped him in an over-sized towel.

“You like it,” Taylor bit at his lower lip and sat him down in the big chair in the corner of the bedroom while he changed the sheets on the bed. Once the bed was made, he pulled the towel off of Nico and brought him back to bed with him.

***

The next morning, Taylor woke to the late morning sun streaming through the windows of the bedroom. Nico walked in holding two cups of coffee and set them down on the bedside table.

"Hey sleepyhead,” he smiled.

“Hey,” Taylor yawned, “why didn’t you wake me?”

“I figured you needed your sleep.” Nico rolled into bed next to Taylor, cuddling up against his side.

“I did because _someone_ woke me up at 4 am to suck my dick.”

“Hmm,” Nico hummed, “I didn’t hear you complaining.

“You’re insatiable,” Taylor pulled him up to nibble on his neck.

“Serves you right for fucking a 20 year old,” Nico sassed. “Nice to see that you can keep up with me at your advanced age."

“I’m only 24 and I think I’ve kept up pretty well,” Taylor said into Nico’s neck, rolling him over and pinning Nico underneath him. “Enough to make you too sore to fuck this morning.”

“You _dick_ ,” Nico laughed and pushed against Taylor’s arms, bracketed around his head. But Taylor leaned down and Nico’s body responded, arching up into Taylor and finding his mouth for a slow, lazy kiss.

***

They walked down to Bloomfield Avenue and into town that afternoon, relaxed and enjoying the sunny weather. Taylor slung his arm around Nico’s shoulders and Nico tucked his hand into the back pocket of Taylor’s shorts. They stopped to get iced coffees at the coffee house on Church Street and browsed at the used book store down the block, holding hands and weaving around the stacks of old books.

They walked further down Bloomfield Avenue and stopped for a late lunch at the ramen restaurant. They sat in the window, watching people walk by, and slurped their noodles. When the waiter dropped off the check, Taylor grabbed it.

“Hey, let me pay for mine,” Nico protested.

“Obviously you haven’t googled to see how much I make.”

“Oh no, I did. I was just being polite,” Nico grinned at him.

Taylor shook his head and looked at Nico fondly, and then got up to pay the bill, pressing a kiss to Nico’s temple on the way.

“What?” Nico called after him.

Taylor turned around. “Nothing, I just like you.”

Nico blushed and looked down, then back up at Taylor through his eyelashes. “I am very likable.”

Taylor leaned down to kiss him again, this time on the lips. “Very.”

***

They watched a movie when they got back to Taylor’s house, sprawled out on the big sofa in the great room with Nico’s head pillowed on Taylor’s thigh. Later, they got in the hot tub - naked, like Nico suggested - and made out until they were both pruney. Nico had climbed into Taylor’s lap and was pressing his cock against Taylor’s stomach, making small moans into Taylor’s mouth. Taylor tugged Nico’s head back by his hair. “Don’t you fucking dare come in my hot tub or I’ll make you clean it.” (Instead, Taylor sat on the edge of the hot tub, leaning back on his elbows, while Nico went down on him.)

***

Nico went back to Mirco’s Sunday night and they fell into a regular routine. Nico came over every other night and stayed the night. On those nights, Taylor cooked for Nico or took him out in town, leading him into restaurants with his hand possessively on the small of his back. They went to get ice cream at Holsten’s in Bloomfield or drank wine by the fire pit at night. They fucked in the kitchen, in the shower, in every room of the giant house, and once on a blanket on the lawn at dusk.

The nights Nico stayed over, Taylor drove him to the rink early the next morning and used the weights in the arena gym while Nico worked on his long program, which was getting more complete every day. Taylor helped Nico decide on a costume for Skate America in October, choosing red to highlight the color high on his cheeks when he skated.  

The nights they weren’t together, Taylor tried to distract himself by doing a longer workout or scheduling calls with the Devils front office. He tried to be settled on those nights, knowing that these things were important for him to focus on if he was going to successfully integrate into his new team. But every minute spent without Nico felt empty to him and, more often than not, they ended up texting late into the night.

In late August, Taylor had to go to Toronto for the weekend for a photo shoot. He left for the airport early on a Friday morning, almost missing his flight because he couldn’t stop kissing Nico, who was cuddled up soft and warm in his bed. His mom picked him up at the airport in Toronto. She was happy to see that he was smiling, that the dark circles that had lived under his eyes when she last saw him had eased away and that Taylor was sporting a healthy tan.

“You look great, Taylor,” she hugged him over the front console of her car. “New Jersey really agrees with you.”

Taylor smiled shyly in response. It was good to see his mom again. They had dinner at home with his dad and he slept in his childhood bedroom that night, happy to sleep somewhere familiar. No one mentioned his apartment downtown and Taylor tried not to think of what had happened the last time he was there.

For the next two days, he was busy with meetings with his agent and manager and the photo shoot, as well as appointments at the league office. He kept a smile plastered on his face, even as more and more people fawned over how much better he looked, trying not to think of what a mess he had been the last time he had been in town. Had it really been that bad? Taylor could barely remember now.

Sunday night, when he finally had a minute to himself, he texted Nico.

 

_Hey babe_

 

**Hi :)**

**How’s Toronto?**

 

_It’s good, nice to see family_

_I saw Jordan and Connor today too_

 

**How was that?**

 

_A little awkward, but I think we’re good_

_It’s a relief bc I’ll see them during the season anyway_

 

**That’s good**

 

_Are you ok?_

 

**Yeah, I just don’t want to keep you if you’re busy**

 

_Nico, what?_

_I want to talk to you_

_I miss you_

 

**Really?**

 

_Yes really_

_Did you think I came to Toronto and forgot about you?_

 

**Idk**

**Maybe**

 

_You’re ridiculous_

_I’ll show you how much I missed you when I get back_

 

**Oooh, I like the sound of that ;)**

***

Taylor landed in Newark at 11:00pm the next night and directed the car service driver to Mirco’s house. When he pulled up in front, Nico appeared in the doorway with a smile on his face.

Taylor trotted up the front walk and pulled Nico into a tight hug. “Hi,” he sighed into Nico’s hair.

“Hi, you,” Nico said back. He pulled away and touched Taylor’s cheek. “You didn’t have to send me flowers today.”

“I wanted you to know that I was thinking about you.” Taylor had called a florist in New Jersey that morning and ordered a bouquet of sunflowers for Nico, certain that the bright yellow flowers were perfect for him.

Taylor kissed Nico softly. Nico was pliant in his arms, tilting his head back into the kiss and snaking his arms around Taylor’s neck. The driver beeped his horn and they pulled apart. “I’ve gotta go and you have to get some sleep.”

“Okay,” Nico said, leaning on the door frame as Taylor turned to go.

“One more,” Taylor came back and kissed Nico again before jogging back to the car.

***

“What are you doing this weekend?” Nico asked. He was standing at the door to the ice, wiping his face with a towel and Taylor was sitting on the bleachers nearby lacing up his skates.

“I have a feeling that you’re going to tell me.”

Nico threw the towel at Taylor. “We’re going down the shore.”

“Hmm?” Taylor pulled the sweaty towel off of his head.

“Down the shore. You can’t call yourself a New Jerseyan if you’ve never been there.”

“Ok,” Taylor said standing up.

“Pick me up tomorrow at 7:00 am. Gotta beat the traffic if we’re going to get a good spot.”

“Can’t I sleep in and pay for VIP or something,” Taylor whined.

“No, that’s not the authentic experience. We’ll stop at Wawa on the way for snacks.”

Taylor frowned. “Am I supposed to know what that means?”

“You should if you’re going to live here,” Nico said, patting Taylor on the butt before leaving. “See you tomorrow!”

***

Nico laughed when he saw Taylor the next morning. “You’re wearing the famous yellow swim trunks!” he crowed as he loaded into the car with an large beach tote and a soft-sided cooler.

They drove in traffic down the Garden State Parkway, arriving in Avalon at 10:00 am. They got the last spot in the lot at 28th Street and headed to the beach, which was already crowded with families. They spent the morning sunbathing and eating the cut-up watermelon that Nico had packed in the cooler. When they got too hot, they waded into the ocean and swam out as far as they could without the lifeguard blowing her whistle at them.

Taylor came up behind where Nico was bouncing on his toes, his head just above the water, and wrapped his arms around him. They floated together, watching a bunch of kids riding the crest of each wave to the sand on their boogie boards.

“I wish I had one of those,” Nico said, floating on his back in the water.

“I’ll get you one for your birthday,” Taylor chuckled, bobbing near Nico and kissing his nose. “When is your birthday?”

Nico turned to look at him for a moment. “January.” He slipped under the water and started swimming back to shore. He walked through the surf to the sand and trudged up the beach to flop on their blanket.

Taylor stood over him, dripping salt water and squinting in the the bright sun. “Nico, what?”

Nico smiled up at him softly. “Nothing,” he patted the blanket beside him. Taylor sat next to him and they stared out at the ocean together.

***

They ate pizza on the boardwalk for lunch and watched kids doing tricks in the skateboard park nearby. They spent a few more hours at the beach, swimming and napping on the sand. Later in the afternoon, they walked a few blocks to Dune Drive and got ice cream cones at Avalon Freeze that melted down their hands in the afternoon sun.

They drove out of town, over the inlet and toward the setting sun, and arrived back at Taylor’s well after dark. Taylor carried their things inside and dropped them in the hallway and then pulled Nico upstairs to shower the sand off their skin.

“You’re quiet,” Taylor hooked his chin over Nico’s shoulder, reaching around to soap up his chest.

Nico dropped his head back against Taylor. “I’m tired, too much sun.” When Taylor’s hands ventured farther south, Nico’s mouth fell open and he started breathing faster. “Although I’m feeling more awake suddenly.”

They finished showering and Taylor brought Nico to bed. They laid on their sides facing each other, kissing and touching until Nico couldn’t take it anymore and climbed over Taylor to get the lube out of the drawer by the bed. Taylor sat up against the headboard and watched, eyes wide, while Nico straddled him and fucked one slicked up finger into himself. He added two more and Taylor reached to slide in a fourth, holding onto Nico’s hip as he writhed on top of him.

Nico pulled their fingers out and slid his hand down Taylor’s cock, which was hard under him. He teased the head around his rim, letting it push in half an inch before pulling it out again. “Tell me what you want,” Nico whispered.

Taylor looked at Nico, taking in his eyes, darker than he had ever seen them, and his lips bitten red. “You, just you,” Taylor whispered back, putting his hands on the side of Nico’s face to kiss him. “Just like this.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Are you sure?” Taylor asked, searching Nico’s eyes and seeing nothing but certainty.

Nico nodded, bracing his knees on either side of Taylor and sliding down onto him.

“Baby,” Taylor gasped, “Oh fuck.” He held Nico by the hips, holding him still until Taylor’s heart stopped hammering. Nico held on to the back of Taylor’s neck and slowly started moving. Taylor watched Nico, his abs flexing and all of that tan skin flushed pink, awed by him, that Nico was here just for him.

“Fuck,” Nico gasped, “you feel too good like this, fuck.”

Taylor slid his hands up Nico’s sides and held on to him as Nico bore down on him, over and over, moaning louder but never breaking eye contact with him. Taylor couldn’t look away, felt locked onto Nico’s eyes and moved in sync with him. “Do you,” Taylor started, his voice failing him, “do you want me to come inside you.”

Nico looked so broken for a moment, and then he closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. “Yes,” he said thickly, “please Tay, please.”

Taylor held him against his chest, pressing him closer and winding his fingers in Nico’s hair. Nico was moving faster, fucking him desperately and kissing Taylor like it would be the last time. “I can’t,” Taylor panted, “you gotta come with me, baby, come for me, baby.” They hung on to each other, moving through their orgasms in what felt like slow motion, until there was nothing left but their breathing.

“Nico,” Taylor said, kissing him softly.

Nico looked up at him, a shocked look his face. “That was…”

“Unbelievable,” Taylor finished, finally sliding out of Nico and arranging them on their sides facing each other. “Are you okay? I know sometimes you cry during sex but that seemed like a lot, even for you.”

“I’m really good,” Nico smiled and then yawned, “and really sleepy.” Taylor pulled him close again and watched as Nico’s eyes closed and he fell asleep.

***

Taylor spent the next two days at the Prudential Center, meeting with the coaching staff, having promotional photos taken, and doing interviews with local media. He was exhausted at the end of each day, but everyone he met was so welcoming that he was less nervous about the start of training camp in two days.

That night, he texted Nico, who he hadn’t seen since the day after they went down the shore.

 

_Hey babe_

 

**Hi :)**

 

_Hi :)_

_Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?_

 

**Sure, where to?**

 

_It’s a surprise_

_So dress up_

 

**Tayyyyyy**

 

_It’ll be nice_

_I’ll pick you up at 7:30_

 

**Ok :)**

***

Taylor drove them into Eagle Rock Reservation and up the circular drive in front of High Lawn Pavilion at 8pm. The sun was setting over the patio next to the restaurant and, after Taylor handed the car keys to the valet, he led Nico to the overlook so they could see the the view of New York City across the valley below.

As they stood there, Nico fidgeted with his tie and ran his hands through his hair until it was falling in his face.

“Hey,” Taylor caught his hands and brushed Nico’s hair out of his face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m great,” Nico said quickly.

“Ok,” Taylor took a deep breath. “So. I wanted to talk to you.

“Yeah, that’s great, love to talk.”

Taylor felt his smile falter but he pressed on. “So I start training camp tomorrow and I’ll be really busy in the run-up to the season. And I know you’re really busy getting ready for your season, and we’ll both be basically traveling all the time through March, well hopefully through June for me.” Taylor ran his hand through his hair. “But I want to keep seeing you.”

Nico stared at him, eyes wide. “What?”

“I want to keep seeing you, I want you to be my boyfriend.”

“What?” Nico’s mouth was hanging open.

“Nico, say something besides ‘what’,” Taylor laughed, taking his hands.

"I’m just,” Nico looked around, like he was the subject of a prank. “You _want_ to keep seeing me?”

“Yes? Was that not obvious?”

Nico laughed, leaning over the railing of the overlook. “I thought you were dumping me!”

“Why would I bring you to a fancy restaurant to dump you?” Taylor shrieked.

Nico sighed, exasperated. “Because you’re a really nice person, Tay.”

“How could you think that I wouldn’t want to see you anymore,” Taylor asked, pulling Nico close to him.

“I thought maybe it was just like a sex thing,” Nico said and Taylor raised an eyebrow at him, “or just a summer thing, like until you started your real life here.”

“You are my life here,” Taylor said, looking into Nico’s eyes.

“That is so corny, I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You know what, I changed my mind,” Taylor started to pull away, laughing.

“Don’t, I’m just teasing!” Nico grabbed at Taylor, pulling him back close. “You’re my life here too.”

***

_Epilogue_

Taylor skated out onto the ice for his first Devils home game wearing his new red jersey with his new number. During the national anthem ( _Weird,_ Taylor thought _, no Canadian anthem_ ), he scanned the crowd and found Nico, sitting four rows up next to Taylor’s parents. Taylor caught his eye. Nico turned around, looking over his shoulder, so that Taylor could see his last name and the number 9 on the back of the jersey Nico was wearing. Nico was beaming at him. Taylor touched his hand to his chest and felt all of his nervousness, all the anxiety he had been holding there since the trade, melt away.

After the game, Taylor emerged from the dressing room to cheers from his parents and Nico. He hugged his parents and then wrapped Nico in his arms. “You scored two goals!” Nico said excitedly. Taylor kissed him and whispered in his ear, “Two goals for you.”

Taylor drove Nico back to Mirco’s and they stood out front, reluctant to part. “Ugh, I wish my flight to Chicago didn’t leave at 7am tomorrow.”

“Have you packed yet?”

“You know I haven’t,” Nico smiled.

"You're going to go pack and then you're going to go to Chicago and win Skate America. I'll be in Boston while you're gone but I'll see you right back here in a week."

"I think I'm going to bring your jersey," Nico said, planting soft kisses on Taylor's lips. "It'll be like you're there with me."

"I think that's a really great idea. We'll celebrate your win when you get back."

"Hmm, I think I have some ideas about how we can do that," Nico grinned, biting his lower lip.

Taylor drove back to his house, still amazed when he pulled up that this big house on a quiet street in the New Jersey suburbs was his home. He thought about how nice it would be to share it with Nico. _One step at a time_ , Taylor thought to himself. He had just started thinking about telling Nico that he loved him. He held onto it, keeping that unsaid _I love you_ close to his heart until the time was right.

Taylor got ready for bed and got in bed with his iPad. He pulled up the video of his last Oilers game and fast-forwarded to the end. He paused the video when the camera zoomed in on his face on the bench. Taylor stared at his face, so strange to him after all this time. He almost felt sorry for that guy, so unhappy and alone in Edmonton. He closed the video and deleted it for good.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know shit about figure skating, so apologies if I butchered something important to you.
> 
> The band Taylor and Nico go see in Clifton is Snail Mail, a band I love and listened to a lot while writing this. The title is from Pristine off of their album Lush. Apologies to Lindsay Jordan for bringing her into this.
> 
> All New Jersey locations and experiences are real, except I've never seen a band upstairs from a bodega in Clifton. I did once see a band upstairs from a butcher shop in Western Mass. and that had real dirty Jersey energy.
> 
> Comments keep me going, so please feel free to comment below.


End file.
